Sunday, May 25, 2014

Now in its 7th year, the 7UP® Sueño Alianza Program provides an opportunity for the country’s elite Hispanic youth soccer players born in 1994-2001 to be identified and scouted for inclusion in Liga Bancomer MX Youth Divisions, Mexico's & U.S. Soccer’s Youth National Team programs.

There is no cost to the player to be scouted and all travel expenses to the national showcase are paid by Alianza de Futbol. Open to all players regardless of affiliation, or lack thereof, the 7UP Sueño Alianza Program Program is approved by the U.S. Soccer Federation and FEMEXFUT.

7UP® Sueño Alianza has had nearly 40 players signed to professional contracts, 14 earn youth national team call-ups (for the USA, Mexico and Honduras), and eight athletes receive college scholarships. Alums that have benefited from this program include Californian Julio Morales, who was signed by Chivas de Guadalajara and played for Mexico at the 2013 U-20 World Cup, and Dennis Flores & Miguel Palafox, who made his Liga MX debut with Club Leon’s first team last March 2014.

Cultural Trip: Ballet Hispanico

Featuring a world premiere by Miami dance star Rosie Herrera and works by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispanico explores the contemporary Latin soul through pieces that fuse ethnic dance with classical and contemporary techniques.

Since its founding in 1979, Ballet Hispanico has celebrated the dynamic aesthetics of the Hispanic diaspora, building new avenues of cultural dialogue and sharing the joy of dance with all communities.

Tickets are $50 for SIB Resident ID Card holders and $55 for all others. They may be purchased at the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center or Pelican Community Park.

The bus will leave the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center at 7:00 p.m. Showtime is at 8:00 p.m. and the bus will return at approximately 10:30 p.m.

Tickets are located in Third Tier, Row A. Moderate walking is required.

Friday, May 23, 2014

FLORIDA SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON IS HERE

~Marine reptiles use Sunshine State to start new life~

TALLAHASSEE – Sea turtle nesting has begun in Florida and will continue through the end of October. On May 8, a loggerhead sea turtle nest was discovered at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve beach. The nest was spotted by the reserve's sea turtle patrol, a volunteer-based effort for monitoring and evaluating sea turtle nests. In April, these volunteers began monitoring and evaluating this season's nests on the reserve’s beach, seven days a week.

Florida's shallow bays and estuaries provide important habitats for threatened and endangered sea turtles. The Sunshine State accounts for 90 percent of sea turtle nests in the continental United States and five of the world’s seven beach-nesting species of sea turtles, including the loggerhead, green turtle, leatherback, hawksbill and the rarest and most endangered sea turtle - the Kemp’s ridley.

“Sea turtles are part of Florida’s unique and dynamic natural environment," said Kevin Claridge, director of DEP's Florida Coastal Office. "They are a vibrant part of what makes this state so special. We know people love turtles and every beach-goer can help increase their survival rate during nesting and hatching season.”

Residents are most likely to encounter the loggerhead sea turtle, named for its prominently featured block-like head. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report that the contiguous beaches from Brevard to Palm Beach counties are the most important loggerhead nesting sites in the Western Hemisphere. These beaches typically see 15,000 nesting loggerheads in a year. Overall, Florida can expect 40,000 to 60,000 sea turtle nests by season’s end.

Adult female sea turtles can come from as far as the West Coast of Africa to breed and nest on Florida beaches. A typical female may lay 85-120 ping-pong sized eggs in one sitting and repeat this process up to eight times in one nesting season. Once deposited, incubation lasts for approximately two months.

To minimize disturbance to nesting sea turtles, residents and visitors are advised to heed the following tips:

Use sea turtle friendly lighting. Use low-power and low-frequency lighting angled downward to the ground. Residents and establishments close to the beach should pay special attention to cover fixtures as much as possible and keep them off when not needed;

Refrain from fire and fireworks;

Keep the beach clear. Do not litter or leave behind beach equipment. Demolish sandcastles and fill in holes. Consider cleaning up litter spotted around you;

Respect zones around nests and on the dunes. Keep back to avoid accidentally stepping on eggs;

DO NOT disturb females while they nest. Feel free to observe from a safe distance without making excessive noise;

Report sightings to 1-800-404-FWCC begin_of_the_skype_highlighting1-800-404-FWCC FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Workers and volunteers can mark off the area to help prevent inadvertent damage; and

If you spot a stranded or trapped female turtle call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-800-404-FWCC begin_of_the_skype_highlighting1-800-404-FWCC FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Monday, May 19, 2014

National Military Appreciation Month serves as a time to honor, remember, recognize and appreciate military personnel and their families and the many sacrifices made every day, as well as those Americans who have given their lives defending our freedoms. In its 15th year, National Military Appreciation Month remains successful as volunteers from around the country continue to promote public patriotism, awareness and support for our troops, veterans and their families.
Florida State Parks invite everyone, especially active duty military, veterans and their families, to enjoy a day at one of our 171 state parks and trails. While there are plenty of activities offered at Florida State Parks, there are also many ways that visitors can show support and appreciation for America’s military members, veterans and families.
Top 5 Ways to Support America’s Military at Florida State Parks:
1. Bring a small American flag to the park and wave it proudly in honor of the sacrifices our military makes daily.
2. Gather friends and family and while enjoying the sunshine, make a care package to send to a solider through Soldiers’ Angels.
3. If you see a person in military uniform, thank him or her for the services provided to our country.
4. Take advantage of a good deal to visit state parks. Discounts on the purchase of Annual Entrance Passes are available to active duty and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Free Lifetime Military Entrance Passes are available to veterans with service-related disabilities, surviving spouses and parents of members of the U.S. military who have fallen in combat and law enforcement officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Please see the Florida State Parks website and the Things to Know tab for more information.
5. Enjoy a state park this Saturday, May 17 for Armed Forces Day or on Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day. Armed Forces Day is a holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support for our country. Memorial Day serves as a day for America to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

62nd Annual Florida Folk Festival

~“Top 20 Event” takes place Memorial Day Weekend.~

JJ Grey with his guitar.

The 62nd Annual Florida Folk Festival at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park kicks off in just one week. Beginning Friday, May 23, the festival provides the best of Florida’s music, arts and culture, providing something for everyone. Gates open at 8 am daily and tickets are still available.
Since 1953, folk artists have joined ranks for this spectacular event. As one of the oldest state folk festivals in America, this year’s festival will continue the grand tradition of celebrating Florida’s land, food, people and diverse cultural heritage. More than 300 performances are scheduled for the Memorial Day Weekend. With Florida’s greatest folk and roots artists attending the event, including national recording artists, songwriters and musicians of swing, folk, blues, gospel, country, Latin, jazz, bluegrass, Caribbean and zydeco music, the festival is truly an event not to be missed.
This year’s Florida Folk Festival features performances by groups with connections to all parts of Florida, including:

~Immerse yourself in the history of the forts at Florida State Parks.~

The American flag flies at Fort Clinch State Park.

Florida State Parks are filled with an enormous amount of history. Many of our parks are known as historical sites and can provide a wide array of information and insight into Florida’s past. Visitors are able to walk through areas where famous battles and wars took place and learn about the rich history Florida State Parks has to offer. We also have a wide array of forts to visit and learn about.
7 Best Forts of Florida State Parks:
1. Fort Clinch State Park: Named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, a prominent figure of the Second Seminole War, construction of Fort Clinch began in 1847. Fort Clinch is one of the most well-preserved 19th century forts in the country. No battles were ever fought at the fort, although it was garrisoned during both the Civil and Spanish-American wars.
2.Fort Cooper State Park: In 1836, the First Georgia Battalion of Volunteers built a stockade for the soldiers resting along the banks of Lake Holathlikaha. The Volunteers were forced to hold their own against the Seminole Indians through several skirmishes. The park is named in honor of Major Mark Anthony Cooper, commander of 380 First Georgia Battalion Volunteers.
3. Fort Foster Historic State Site: Fort Foster is part of Hillsborough River State Park and is a fort reconstructed from the Second Seminole War. The interpretive center of the park has more than 100 artifacts on display that were found at the Fort Foster Historic Site and offer an insight on both sides of the conflict between the Seminole nation and the U.S. military.
4. Fort Mose Historic State Park: Fort Mose is the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida chartered the settlement of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, or Fort Mose, as a settlement for those fleeing slavery from the English colonies in the Carolinas. Although there are no remains of the earth and wooden structures, visitors can still view the land where the settlement once stood.
5. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park: Florida’s southernmost state park was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1973 and is popular for its recreation, as well as U.S. military history. The fort was one of a series built in the mid-1800s to defend the nation’s southeastern coastline. Fort Zachary Taylor played important roles in the Civil War and Spanish-American War.
6. Paynes Creek Historic State Park: During the 1840s, tensions between settlers and the Seminole Indians prompted authorities to establish a trading post in Florida’s interior, away from settlements. In late 1849, after the post was attacked and destroyed by renegade Indians, Fort Chokonikla was built as the first outpost in a chain of forts established to control the Seminoles.
7. San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park: The history of this National Landmark dates back to 1528 when Panfilo de Narvaez arrived in the area with 300 men. However, the first fort was not built until 1679. Andrew Jackson occupied the fort during the early 1800s. The final confrontation at San Marcos occurred in 1861 when the Confederates took the fort, renaming it Fort Ward. Pottery and tools unearthed near the original fort are displayed in the museum.

Mobile App for Smartphones Plan your state park adventures using the new Pocket Ranger® app for your smartphone.The FREE Florida State Parks Pocket Ranger® mobile app is available now on iTunes, Android Market and PocketRanger.com.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

I saw a community coming together to replace an obsolete old train station with a new, energy-efficient one that connects two high-employment areas.

Yesterday, in St. Louis, I saw the construction of a land bridge that's designed to let residents and tourists better access the city's famous Archway.

Our infrastructure projects -- the roads we pave, the tracks we lay down, the bridges we build -- they bring out the best of us as a country. We build big things. It's our history.

That happened because our Administration took steps to expedite the permitting process for these kinds of projects. And today, we announced that we're doing the same thing for 11 more accelerated projects -- from Boston's South Station to the Pensacola Bay Bridge.

But there's more that's got to be done to make sure this country's infrastructure projects get the funding they need. That's something only Congress can do, and they're running out of time to do it.

If our Congress doesn't act soon, the funding that pays for our transportation projects will run out. The Department of Transportation won't have a dime to go toward more than 112,000 projects happening around the country. Nearly 700,000 good jobs would be at risk. And some states are already slowing down projects because they're anticipating this inaction.

Think about that for a second.

These states are putting American jobs on the line because they’re actually expecting their legislators to refuse to do their jobs.

It shouldn't be that way, and you can play a role in changing it by making sure everyone knows what's going on and what it means.

The Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Program, with guidance from the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, develops, coordinates and promotes the performing and visual arts groups in Miami Beach. To date, Cultural Affairs has awarded over $10 million in grants to approximately 130 diverse not-for-profit arts groups, which contribute so richly to the artistic landscape of the City, proving that the Council plays an integral leadership role in supporting, promoting and advocating the unique and extensive scope of cultural offerings in Miami Beach.

Enjoy free movies every Wednesday night! This week: THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013) Directed by Alan Taylor and James Gunn; with Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman. Bring your blanket or beach chair and picnic! No glass please. The FREE SoundScape Cinema Series is presented generously by the Marilyn and Edward Gadinsky Charitable Foundation.

The mission of this program is to stimulate creativity and provide an opportunity for discussions about art and life. Each week features a different program or activity for the class. For more Info: www.bassmuseum.org or call 305.673.7530. Members and Miami Beach Residents: free. Non-members: $8 (cost of museum admission)

Digital Oculus: Women+Art+Technology, is an exhibition featuring the work of women artists that take a versatile approach to digital media. The women artists have used visuals and applied concepts that depict daily occurrences. Opening Reception: Thursday, May 15, 7:00 p.m.

The Discovery Series presents brilliant emerging artists who speak with a unique and compelling musical voice. They are not main stream and are willing to be adventurous and often daring in expressing their artistic vision, offering our audiences an aesthetic and emotional experience not available from "establishment" concert programming.

Part of the French Film Series "Feline Films on the Beach" THE RABBI'S CAT / Le Chat du Rabbin Directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux (2011), starring François Morel, Maurice Bénichou and Hafsia Herzi.

Bastille are an English rock band formed in London in 2010. They began as a solo project by singer-songwriter Dan Smith, who later decided to form a band. The four-piece consists of members; Dan Smith, Chris Wood, William Farquarson and Kyle Simmons. The name of the band derives from Bastille Day - an event celebrated on Smith's birthday, 14 July.

From visionary director Jonathan Glazer (Birth) comes a stunning career transformation, a masterpiece of existential science fiction that journeys to the heart of what it means to be human, extraterrestrial undefined or something in between.

Dwight Evans is a mysterious outsider whose quiet life on the margins is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.

Who is Vivian Maier? Now considered one of the 20th century's greatest street photographers, Vivian Maier was a mysterious nanny who secretly took over 100,000 photographs that went unseen during her lifetime. Maier's strange and riveting life and art are revealed through never-before-seen photographs, films, and interviews with dozens who thought they knew her.

Celebrate the achievements of Miami City Ballet School students from young, aspiring ballerinas to near professionals at the culmination of their 2013-2014 School Year. The performance features original works by Miami City Ballet School Faculty in ballet, modern, jazz and character dance, as well as Marius Petipa's Sleeping Beauty (Act III). TICKETS: $25+

Fairy Tales, Songs of the Dandelion Woman is a 90-minute trip "down the rabbit hole." With a score and libretto created by Carson Kievman, this contemporary music-theater journey hurtles through a kaleidoscopically shifting mental landscape, past the borderline between hilarity and madness, into a surrealistic dislocation.

Burlesque Magnifique brings a new concept to South Beach fusing the art of the authentic tease with extraordinary entertainment for a truly spectacular Burlesque revue along with our live jazz band The French Horn. Take a 90 minute journey into the art of seduction as each performer draws you into their sizzling world.

This year's theme, Museum Collections Make Connections, reminds us that museums are living institutions that help create bonds between visitors, generations and cultures around the world. The museum is an institution that preserves and communicates the past, yet it is grounded in the present. In its very essence, it is a link between the generations, as it allows present and future generations to better comprehend their origins and history.

Fotomission and Tropicolor will host the 10th South Beach Photomarathon, an exciting event that is open to all who enjoy photography. Participants will be assigned six topics to photograph on South Beach over a period of six hours. The topics will be kept secret until the event day and are purposefully vague to give the contestants plenty of room for self expression. This event will be completely managed online.

This critically acclaimed performance returns to the Bass Museum of Art for the fifth year featuring new works by Artistic Directors Salterini and Baumgarten directly inspired by the current art on display and the unique architectural elements of the facilities. Free with museum admission.

Lecture: The Ill-Fated Voyage of the St. Louis (75th Anniversary) FREE

On May 13, 1939, the German transatlantic liner SS St. Louis sailed from Hamburg, Germany, for Havana, Cuba. On the voyage were 937 passengers, almost all Jews fleeing from the Third Reich. The Cuban government turned away the St. Louis. After being refused safe haven in the United States as well, the ship returned to Europe.

During May, celebrate Miami Museum Month. All visitors and locals will be offered "Buy One, Get One Free" admission or "Join One Museum, See Them All" at participating museums. This is an incredible opportunity to museum hop and experience the Miami cultural scene. The cultural scene in Greater Miami and the Beaches is unique and diverse. This is an incredible opportunity to experience the area's inspiring museums.

Flightis an exhibition of new work created by artists who participated in the AIRIE residency at Everglades National Park. The artists in the exhibition each spent a month living and working in the park, immersed in the ecological and cultural concerns of the River of Grass. Artists: Wendy Call, Lisa Elmaleh, Naomi Fisher, Gustavo Matamoros, Adam Nadel, Trong Nguyen, Rebecca Reeve, Nathanial Sandler, Susan Silas, Curated by Deborah Mitchell.

The exhibition highlights Anatsui's recent work and features twelve monumental metal wall and floor sculptures, widely considered to represent the apex of his career to date. In addition, a series of works on paper illuminate his artistic process, while wooden wall reliefs reference his extensive work in other media.

This unprecedented exhibition of iconic Hollywood film posters from 1939-1949 illustrates how the motion picture industry countered America's isolationism, advocated going to war against the Nazis, influenced post-war perceptions of the Jewish people and the founding of the State of Israel, and shaped the face of contemporary Jewish life.

Continues through October 5, 2014

From the pierogies of Poland to the salsas of South America, this exhibition will comprise a wide range of historic items that tell the story of Floridian Jews in the food industry - those who grow, prepare, distribute, cook and serve the foods we love.

Nayda Collazo-Llorens will be installing 2D textual art along the meandering concrete pathways in the Garden. The text is based on thoughts and memories--both real and imagined--collected from Miami Beach locals and visitors. An opening reception will be held June 28, 5-7 p.m.

Untitled ([construction of good)]Ongoing

The Wolfsonian-FIU, 1001 Washington Ave305.531.1001 www.wolfsonian.orgThe Wolfsonian-FIU presents a new site-specific exhibit, Untitled ([construction of good)] by artist Bhakti Baxter in The Wolfsonian Bridge Tender House beginning November 29th. The installation will take place in the steel structure created in the Art Deco style outside of the museum entrance. The focus of the exhibit will be on the construction of good for mankind, focusing on how the meanings of things are perpetually shaped by their human and historical contexts.

The Bass Museum of Art invites visitors to experience the ancient world at the only Egyptian Gallery in Florida. The gallery offers a unique opportunity to learn about one of the world's oldest and most mysterious civilizations from its surviving objects, including an Egyptian sarcophagus and mummy.

Watercolors-English and AmericanOngoing

World Erotic Art Museum, 1205 Washington Avenue305.532.9336 www.weam.comThe extraordinary persona of Sylvie Jones, the famed London artist who has also written such popular children's books as "Who's in the Tub," will be on view. Tickets are $15 with no one under 18 admitted.

Art and Design in the Modern Age: Selections from the Wolfsonian Collection

The permanent collection of the Bass Museum of Art spans more than five hundred years and four continents, including works from Renaissance and Baroque paintings; Rococo court painting and English portraiture; painting and sculpture of North America and much more.